Blog > Creative as a Service (CaaS) > Top 10 Benefits of On-Demand Creative Services for Startups and SMEs

Why Startups and SMEs Need On-demand Creative Services

March 20, 2024
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9
min read

Things are moving along faster than ever these days, and if you’ve got a startup or SME (small and midsize enterprise), then you know if you want to punch above your weight and keep up with the big fish, you’ve got to get creative.

Which is why platforms offering on-demand creative services have begun steadily rising in popularity in recent years.

With the world relying more and more on remote services, startups and smaller business entities have turned to these platforms for their cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and creative expertise.

So, are on-demand creative services the way to go for your brand? If you find yourself wondering, then this is the blog for you.

Today, we’re going through the top 10 benefits of on-demand creative services and how they can be a game-changer for how you approach your marketing, branding, and creative strategy!

What are On-Demand Creative Services?

On-demand creative services are a digital solution that provides businesses of all sizes with immediate access to a wide range of creative professionals and services, like graphic design, copywriting, video production, web design, and more.

Because they are remote, they are able to employ top talent from around the globe and can be used by clients to connect with a creative team via their platform from wherever their physical location may be.

These on-demand platforms offer a flexible and more cost-effective alternative to traditional design agencies or hiring an in-house team, allowing companies to request creative marketing projects as needed without having to sign a contract or chase down freelancers for every individual project.

Why Might a Startup or SME Look for On-Demand Creative Services?

Three caption bubbles, each with a question mark. Why might a smaller company seek out on-demand creative services?

If you’re wondering why on-demand creative services have become so popular lately, there are a few reasons.

Take a look and see if any of the reasons listed below sound familiar to you and your business situation.

No Expertise in Creative Design

If there’s no one on your team with the quality creative skills required to create eye-catching and valuable marketing collateral, it makes it quite necessary to outsource these projects to someone who does.

That leaves your brand with a choice to make:

Do you bite the bullet and hire an in-house designer or creative team? Do you outsource to a marketing or design agency? Or do you go to the freelance marketplace and hope you can find the right person for each marketing project your budding brand requires?

No Budget for In-House Teams or Agencies

But … if you’re just starting out, your budget might be stretched as it is, making signing a contract or paying thousands of dollars to a marketing or design agency less of a reality than you’d like.

And if your company can’t afford a design agency, then a full in-house team of employees hired solely for marketing creative services is laughably out of the question. After all, a team of full-time employees requires you to pay them full-time salaries plus benefits, and smaller companies and startups don’t always have the resources to make that happen.

No Time to Hunt Down Freelancers

No budget available for in-house teams or creative marketing agencies often necessitates the use of freelancers as a less expensive method of getting your marketing projects done.

However, due to the smaller budgets mentioned above and fewer resources than larger companies, many smaller businesses are often operated by a smaller number of people.

And if your brand is already operating on a skeleton crew until you can grow enough to hire on more staff, that means that everyone is likely already working to capacity (and beyond, sometimes!), leaving no one with the bandwidth needed to constantly post jobs on freelance marketplace sites like Upwork or scan through LinkedIn looking for freelancers with the right skill set needed for individual projects.

Even if you manage to net a few good freelancers, you’ll still need someone on your team to manage them, communicate needs, and inspect deliverables for quality control, which can push a busy team way past its limit.

10 Benefits of On-Demand Creative Services

A big purple number 10, for 10 benefits of on-demand creative services.

Did those above scenarios sound familiar?

If so, then take heart, small businesses. There’s another way to get your creative marketing projects completed and, luckily for you, it’s the best option out there! 

So, are on-demand creative services the answer your brand is looking for? Let’s discuss the benefits and see if the extra boost they provide is just what your startup or SME needs for continued growth and success.

1. Increased Efficiency

Outsourcing your graphic design work and other creative marketing projects to an outside on-demand team means increased efficiency for your company.

Your marketing team can say goodbye to the never-ending tasks of posting jobs on the internet, managing freelancers, or interviewing and hiring in-house designers.

Most on-demand creative services provide you with a designated creative director or project manager who acts as your single point of contact and handles all aspects of your account, from sourcing the right talent to ensuring that you meet all of your deadlines. 

With an on-demand creative service taking care of your marketing projects, you’re free to reach out to your creative director whenever a new project comes down the pipeline and then sit back and approve your deliverables once they come in.

2. Wide Range of Skills

Even if your brand has the budget to hire an in-house team that is thoroughly familiar with the ins and outs of your brand, their skill set might be too limited to complete certain marketing projects you need to set your brand apart.

If your marketing projects require a niche skill like 3D animation, motion graphics, or something that’s outside of the wheelhouse of your in-house team, you’ll be left desperately looking through online job postings to fill a void.

Not so with an on-demand team. 

After all, the skills of one or a handful of people will never equal the skills of an entire pool of vetted professionals. With such a large pool of creatives within the on-demand platform, there’s certain to be someone that has the specialty or skill that your design projects need to join your team and get your specialty projects completed.

3. Customized Content

On-demand creative services also excel in delivering content tailored specifically to your brand and are perfect for helping fledging brands establish brand guidelines, like color palettes, logos, tone of voice, and more to help you start building up a memorable identity and the brand recognition you need to succeed.

Rather than the inconsistent work you might get by using different freelancers for each individual project, on-demand creative services offer a much more strategic and consistent approach. 

Your creative director meets with you often, learning the ins and outs of your brand to help you target your audience with meaningful content that resonates and engages, driving more meaningful interactions, and truly helping you to grow and meet your business goals.

4. High-Quality and Professional Work

While there are excellent freelancers floating around out there, they can sometimes be difficult to find or unavailable when you need them most, forcing you to go with whoever is available at the time.

This, unfortunately, leads to inconsistency or varying quality in your marketing collateral.

Because on-demand creative services use only professional, vetted creative talent, partnering with them for your marketing needs guarantees that you have consummate professionals working on your projects at all times.

Their talent and years of experience will naturally result in high-quality and professional work that not only looks fantastic but helps your fledgling company build a strong brand identity and sets you apart in the market.

5. Unlimited Revisions

Because most on-demand creative services operate on subscription-based pricing plans, you pay on a predetermined basis, meaning that your costs are the same no matter how many marketing projects you need completed during your subscription period.

For example, if you’re on a monthly plan, you simply pay to keep your creative team working on your projects for that month, meaning unlimited revisions on your marketing assets.

This ensures that all of your deliverables are refined and adjusted to meet your exact requirements every time.

6. Fast Turnaround Times

A clock speeding by, for fast turnaround times.

Sometimes you just need your marketing collateral as soon as possible to meet a tight deadline or jump on an opportunity as it arises.

On-demand creative services understand this urgency and are structured to deliver your marketing projects on a much faster turnaround time than individual freelancers or traditional design agencies.

Thanks to their efficient processes, their huge team of professional creatives, and the ability to scale resources as needed, they operate faster, meaning you have your marketing assets delivered quickly.

Even if you need something dramatic, like a 24-hour turnaround (or sooner!), most on-demand creative services provide options that allow you to add on to your plan and cover last-minute adjustments, quick updates, and rushed delivery without compromising on quality.

7. Subscription-Based Pricing Models

Most on-demand creative services operate on subscription-based pricing models, which tend to be much more budget-friendly than the expensive retainers and per-project basis that most design agencies stick you with.

Simply sign up and pay on an agreed-upon monthly, quarterly, or annual basis, and never be surprised by another unexpectedly steep design bill again.

They usually offer tiered plans as well, giving you plenty of options to choose from to find the plan that works best for both your budget and your creative needs.

8. Flexibility

Because of the way on-demand creative services are set up, they offer the kind of flexibility that you just can’t get from traditional agencies or freelancers.

While a last-minute change of plans might throw off or fluster an individual freelancer or be outright restricted by a design agency, flexibility is no problem for an on-demand creative service platform. 

Feel free to pivot your strategy or change projects as needed depending on your changing priorities and your creative team will seamlessly pivot right along with you.

9. Scalability

Since the subscription-based pricing we mentioned earlier is so common among on-demand creative services, it makes scaling your marketing needs up or down much easier and more convenient than traditional design agencies and without the need to hire on or lay off staff.

If you find yourself needing to scale up your marketing efforts, simply move up to a higher tier or add on to your plan to get the extra talent and attention required to get the assets you need, when you need them.

And if you find yourself scaling back, then that’s okay too. Most on-demand creative service platforms allow you to cancel at will or pause your account until your needs justify another subscription period’s worth of work.

10. Up-to-Date Tech

On-demand design services are often up to date with all of the latest tech, including powerful design and animation software, AI tools, CRMs, and more.

Instead of having to buy licenses for freelancers to use the software of your choice or train staff members on a wide variety of tools, you can be confident that the professionals who are working on your marketing projects are skilled in the tools and tech it takes to create stunning, eye-catching marketing collateral.

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How Can I Get On-Demand Creative Services?

Sold on the idea of an on-demand creative team?

Wondering where you can go to find such a dream solution to meet your creative marketing needs?

You’re already home, friend.

If it’s creative services on-demand that you want, Designity is ready to deliver. Designity’s design-on-demand, CaaS platform offers you flexible creative solutions and all of the creative talent your marketing campaigns could ever need.

From graphic design to video to web design, copywriting, marketing strategy, and more, your Designity team, led by an experienced Creative Director, can get it done, offering your brand fast creative project delivery, unlimited design requests, and the high-quality, professional marketing collateral you need to stand out in a crowded marketplace.

Choose from three subscription plans, offering flat monthly fees that won’t stretch out your budget, and get the creative services that fit your needs.

Take a look at our portfolio and check out how our innovative model has worked for other brands just like yours. When you’re ready, click here to book your demo call and try out our services with a two-week, no-obligation trial.

This feels like it could be the start of a beautiful partnership.

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About the author:
Sara Lopez
Sara is a Texas-based copywriter.
Interested in content collaboration? Email at press@designity.com
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